232 Walks in New England 



sional swamp maple would show like a fine altar 

 flame of worship. 



Now there is only the great family of oaks that 

 gives colour to the landscape, but these are more 

 generous and glorious than ever. Seldom does 

 Indian summer come to such a wealth of fascina 

 tion. The wide fields are rich in ground colours 

 of superb browns, maroons, grays, yellows, with 

 now and then some acres of new rye or lush 

 meadow emphasizing all with broad spaces of fresh 

 green. In this display of the fields note what is 

 accomplished by humble plants which the farmer 

 calls weeds and justly calls them so, from his 

 practical point of view. What makes the seal- 

 brown hue on yon hillside ? The innumerable 

 plants of the lesser St. John s wort. What gives 

 the ruddy tinge to this sweep of plain ? The 

 little running blackberry, or dewberry. The 

 golden-rods, the blazing-stars, in their seed estate, 

 fill the long outlook with a harmonious ashy tone, 

 picked out with brown points of accent. The 

 high, feathery-seeded grasses of the sandy soils 

 swing and shake in the light breezes, and now 

 and then one discerns an aster or a golden-rod 

 that is belated, yet will blossom despite of the 

 date on the calendar. 



Over all this rich foreground the eye wanders 

 to rest against the fringing forests, with the grand 



